Promise
by afinedenouement
Summary: With the Promised Day finally over and the world at peace, everything seems to be going smoothly. Although with the world now changed, people have undergone some changes too. Royai. Possibly EdWin in later chapters.
1. Ethereal

**A/N: School is over and I've decided to attempt to undertake a chapter fanfic and ACTUALLY finish it. This idea has been in my head for so long, so let's just see how it plays out...not in my mind. The setting is after the Promised Day and after everything is settled with Roy bring blind and blah blah blah. Okay basically, Roy has his site back and him and Riza are both out of the hospital. Anywho, Happy Royai Day!~  
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><p>Madame Christmas noticed her as soon as she felt the draft being brought in by the door. At first Christmas wondered what a girl, ahem...woman, was doing in a place like this. Her character would never go with that of a brothel (although Christmas would never call it that). Then she remember that he was here, even though he should be. Yet, when he had come to see her, his face was so much older and tired than it should have been and Christmas couldn't help but to baby him again, the more nurturing side of her coming out, trying to hide him away from the world where he could be safe from his demons for at least a while.<p>

Christmas wasn't necessarily calling Riza Hawkeye a demon, but she noticed how he changed around her. She was aware of the awkward glaces and touches between the two of them, but she would never ask either of them what was going on. Perhaps it was because she already knew or could guess, but it really was because it felt like it was something far too secret and deep that she should just leave it be. So, when Riza had approached her at the counter, Christmas had a feeling that her being her was one of those secrets.

"Is he...?" Riza asked, looking disheveled and worried. Christmas sighed. Oh how the poor dear looked. She was so young, yet...Her she stood, Riza Hawkeye, looking like a worn-out fifty year old mother.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but he's upstairs," Christmas hadn't promised, but this was perhaps the biggest of Roy's demons. He was continuously haunted by her: losing her, reliving the past. It was something that always left him feeling...odd. Yes, that was how he had described it when his foster-mother had asked him: Odd. As soon as Christmas's response was spoken, Riza nodded as in thanks and headed upstairs to the bedroom she had known since her teenage years.

She opened the door and saw him lying down, hands over his face. She couldn't tell if he was awake or sleeping, but she figured he would known her presence either way. The door shut with a click and she saw him sit up in the shadows. Instead of being afraid of the darkness that they were in, she wanted it there. She didn't want to see his face, didn't want to know the hurt he was going through.

"What are you...?" His voice was steady, slow. She was grateful for it's lull, for she was nervous, although she wasn't sure why.

"I'm here to take you home. This place-It's not going to help. You just need some rest..." She figured it was the nightmares again. They were there are Ishval and after Hughes. Actually, they never really left him. She knew he had trouble sleeping. It was his excuse to her why he drank so much sometimes. He wanted things to be a blur and not be attached to anything or anyone for just a while.

"It's different this time. I know we won, but it's just..." His voice trailed off. He couldn't explain this jumble of emotions he felt and he hope in vain that Riza would understand, or at least somewhat. She looked at him, studying him closely, unafraid of the facts. Hughes had once spoken with her about Roy's "battle fatigue", and she felt so stupid for believing that his troubles might be going away when they never really left him. They were just hidden under the chaos of catching the homunculi and trying to grasp some sense of peace for Amestris and themselves.

"Please..." She didn't know what else to say because he has never been this...lost before. Not even when Hughes had been murdered, for she was able to pull him through, but this time was different. The look in his eyes, that hint of life, it was fading away far too quickly for her liking and she'd be damned to just sit there are watch it happen.

"I'm just...scared," He spoke, looking at her for the first time, after the silence she had left.

"I know," He secretly thanked her because he felt like she always knew what to say to make things seem...alright.

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><p>Roy watched as Hayate bolted through his front door and made himself right at home. <em>Damn dog. <em>Riza was the one who had brought him along. She had only planned to go to her house to pick up some things, not her dog, but even though Roy would never really admit it, he enjoyed the dog's company. Also, at the moment he didn't think things would go well if he was totally alone with Riza.

"You should lay down," She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and he really wished that she hadn't. She guided him into his bedroom, sat him down on the bed, and then of all things she could have done, she simply stared at him. He felt so exposed under her stare too, as if she was trying to find the answer to all of the questions she had been thinking the whole night.

"Hawkeye..." He was scared to say her name, for she had already brought them too close tonight and saying her name would just bring them closer, which in the end was what drove them apart. Much to his surprise though, she stood in front of him, hand on his shoulder, gave him a weak smile, and, _oh god, _she kissed him. And he, _oh god, oh my god, _he kissed her back. His mouth was hungry on hers and she was taken aback by just how starved he was of some human contact. Her hands were in his hair, on his shoulders, trailing down his chest. He had missed her so dearly and he couldn't help himself, but...He grabbed her wrists and she broke away, questioning his actions.

"I can't...We..." He couldn't, wouldn't, admit that what they were going to go, were leading up to doing, it would just hurt her in the end because they couldn't, more like shouldn't, be together in that way. She was always preaching to him: "Roy...if anyone found out..." or "You're reputation...We can't risk it," and yet here she was.

"I'm just trying to help you," Her voice was low, sultry. She was fighting against all of her fears and trying to help in the only way she knew, or thought, he would accept. She was desperate to rid his heavy mind for just a while.

"I just want to sleep. You should get some rest too," He avoided her because the thought of her becoming his _comfort object_ and being another notch in his bedpost made him feel sick, sicker than he already felt. She averted her eyes from him, sighed and left his room without a room. He didn't know if she was offended or tired like himself, but at this point all he could think of was finally being able to relax and try and sleep.

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><p>Of course she felt offended! Although, she was grateful, for the first she had...ahem..."helped him" was after Hughes had been murdered and in the end it just drove him to feel more guilty and her, farther apart from him. She erased any thoughts on what had just happened, not wanting to worry through the night about what could have happened. She hummed to herself (it distracted her from thinking) while she changed from her military grab into her nightgown, much to her relief. She always loved the feeling of getting rid of the awful heavy blue fabrics at the end of the day.<p>

She had managed to find some blankets in the hall closet and then settled herself in for the night on his couch. Hayate whimpered because the couch wasn't really big enough for two, so he had to sleep on the floor for once. She smiled at Hayate, thankful for his comfort and drifted to sleep.

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><p>Roy woke up in the middle of the night (much to Roy's enjoyment), to Hayate pulling on him. Roy glared at the dog, who seem troubled, but Roy was not a mind reader, let alone a dog mind reader, so he thought nothing of it and tried to go back to sleep. Of course, Hayate would not let that happened and continued to prod and pull on Mustang. <em>Dammit Hayate! <em>Roy gave in and got up then continued to follow the dog until he saw, or heard (he wasn't sure which was first), what Hayate had been trying to get to his attention.

Here was Riza, tossing and turning, making soft little noises in her sleep, having a nightmare. He could tell by the look on her face that she was facing her own demons and here he was thinking he was suffering alone when..._oh god..._He couldn't even account for all the guilt he felt at this very moment. Why had she said anything or...She hadn't looked tired or worried or lost...She was fine, right? He gently shook her, attempting to wake her, free her. She woke and looked at him with wet eyes, trying to bring herself back to reality, trying to make herself believe that the nightmares weren't real.

He could only bring himself to keep his hand on her's. He was afraid of contact at this point. He didn't want to break either of them, when they were still healing. He adverted his eyes, for he couldn't look at her like how she was with that worried face and eyes. Then, and this part scared him the most, she couldn't help herself anymore and let out a quite awkward noise and started to cry. She was silent, but of course he noticed. He had only seen her cry a few times and he knew that they were sensible things to cry about, but a nightmare...?

She hated herself for crying, she really did. She was not and refused to be like this. And yet, the tears came so...naturally and she couldn't stop them once they started. It's just that when she saw him, the nightmare refreshed itself in her mind: her blood pooling out of her, him watching, both of them dying. Roy looked at her now with concerned and she wished that he wasn't. It made her feel all the more weaker and ashamed. He continued to watch her, wanting to hold her and bring some sense of comfort, but he was unsure if that was what was best or what she wanted or...He reached out and took her in his arms, her falling right into them as if it was a normal occurrence. He settled both of them onto the couch and held her tighter, when she smiled at him, the tears now gone. He smirked back, feeling awkward after what just happened and their positions.

"Thank you," And for once, she didn't call him sir and he was grateful for the lack of it.


	2. Woebegone

**A/N: Hello again and thank you so, so much to those who have reviewed this. You're so kind to me and I really don't deserve your praise! I hope to live up to your words in the next chapters and with that being said, onward we go!**

"I'm fine. You should go back to bed. I'm fine, sir," She regretted the sir, but felt that they had come far too close for one night and that barrier was needed to remind him that his goal was still between them. He looked at her harshly, trying to tell if she was lying, which was something he had gotten quite good at telling over the years. He noticed the slight look of fear in the corner of her eye, but ignored it knowing that she would never admit to being afraid of something so small as a nightmare.

"Well then...Good-night Lieutenant," Sticking with the formalities gave both of them some sort of comfort. She watched him walk down the small hallway towards his room and listened as his door clicked shut. And yet Riza Hawkeye had never felt so alone than at that moment. He was only feet away from here and she still felt farther from him than if he had been all the way in Xing.

It scared her.

She was the one who should be the one trying to keep them in line. Although she had been the one trying to engage him earlier...Riza Hawkeye, of all people, knew how much his goal meant to him and if she admitted to these...feelings (yes, that's all they are) to him and he, God forbid!, felt the same then things could change. The change being that if they were found out, he would never be looked upon as a leader, for he broke the military laws. Or if...

She stopped thinking about it, forced her mind to stop. The thoughts that her mind conjured made her feel ill, yet try as she might to deny them, they were true. She shook her head, sighed, and let Hayate curl up next to her on the couch, and went to sleep.

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><p>Roy groaned when he felt Hayate being to nudge him awake. The poor man hadn't slept in days and frankly, he wanted to keep sleeping. He gave in to the dog dispite how nice and inviting his bed was. His morning improve greatly (<em>very<em> greatly in his opinion) when he entered the kitchen and saw Riza sitting at the small corner table in quite a reveling nightgown (the man swears he saw her thighs).

"I made you some coffee," She spoke when she noticed that he had entered the room. He smiled, or smirked, it was too early for him to tell which. He joined her at the table and took the cup of warm coffee that she brought to him.

"Oh shit..." He spoke after he took a drink. Riza looked at him, wondering if he had burnt his tongue, something she excepted he would do. He noticed her look, "I have a meeting with Fuhrer Grumman this morning and I was hoping to pay a visit to an old friend,"

"Do you need-"

"I'd rather that you'd stay here. Not necessarily here-I mean, this is something I want to do alone," Riza nodded her head. She understood when he got like this, plus she had a feeling who is "old friend" might be. She watched as he attempted to hurriedly drank the remainder of his coffee and went off to get ready for the day ahead of him.

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><p>After he had dropped Riza along with Hayate at her apartment, Roy Mustang made his way to Central to visit the new Fuhrer. He would never admit to it, but he was nervous. He was sure what the future held for him at this point. He knew that he wanted to work on the policies with Ishval and restore the country, but he was worried what Grumman would say to this. The policies had been in places for years and reversing them would be quite an undertaking. Plus there would be the issue of money that would be needed to fund projects to rebuild and modernize the country.<p>

His thoughts came to a halt when the secretary told him that it he could enter the Fuhrer's office. Despite the relationship Mustang had with Grumman, he still was the Fuhrer, so when he entered the office Roy salute without hesitation.

"Ah, Roy! It's so good to see you! And in perfect health I hope?" Roy let out a sigh of relief with Grumman's word. He was glad that the old man he knew from the East was still the same.

"I'm fine now, thank you, sir and it's good to see that the new position has overloaded you with paperwork," Roy smirked, "I don't have a lot of time, so what do you want?" He was glad that the old man was his friend otherwise that kind of talk would have gotten him demoted.

"I'm surprised that a man like you hasn't already guessed as to why I wanted to see you! You'll be happy to hear that you're being promoted to General. The promotion ceremony will be held in a week," Roy stared blankly at Grumman. General? He had excepted some kind of acknowledgement, but a promotion to a rank like General? He was much closer to the top than before, making his ego swell slightly, although he had every reason to feel that way.

"Maybe with the raise I can actually afford to date again, unless all the new paperwork will trap me in my office," Roy joked, watching as the old man smirked at him, knowing how much the new job meant.

"I'm assuming you'll request that your former subordinates be transferred back under you? Of course, you know you will have to find someone to replace Havoc," Grumman spoke to Roy as he looked through his glass, which now gleamed so Roy couldn't see his eyes. Roy froze at the mention of Havoc. He hadn't really thought about him much ever since they had parted ways. They still kept in contact in the form of a random phone call once in a while. Roy would never let himself totally forget the man. That man was a damn fine one and Mustang highly doubted that he could find someone to replace him or find someone who had such beautiful dates that could be stolen.

"I'm guessing that the paperwork for their transfers is already underway or I am just thinking too highly of you?" Roy once again joked after a few moments of silence. Grumman laughed at him and handed him a file that was on his desk, "The transfers are in process. Don't you worry, Mustang. In the meantime, you might want to look over the men in that file. They're the best of the best, which I know you'd want - no, need - on your team," Mustang nodded in agreement with him as he opened the file and began to flip through the many papers. He'd have to consult Hawkeye on this later along with the details of the promotion ceremony.

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><p>Roy Mustang had left the office feeling rather pleased with himself and his already overinflated ego. The issue of finding a new subordinate troubled him, but he put thinking about it off until later. There was more important things he had to do - been meaning to do - for some time. So, here he found himself standing at the Hughes' door. He felt like he was either going to pass out or throw up the little coffee had drank this morning. He sighed heavily and knocked on the door, a part of him hoping that Gracia wasn't there because he still wasn't ready to confront <em>this <em>demon.

"Oh Colonel Mustang! What a surprise!" she said as she answered the door. He was glad to see that she looked better than when he had last saw her, sounded better than when he had last talked with her over the phone.

"It's General now, but..." He stood awkwardly on her front porch, unsure of what exactly how to say things to her. It was so hard to deal with the living than he thought.

"A promotion...Maes would have been proud of you," And she smiled when she said it and it made him feel even more sick, "Please, come inside," She stepped aside to allow him entry, then shutting the door behind them both. She muttered something about making himself at home, but Roy simply stood as she sat down in a nearby lounge chair.

"Gracia," Roy fumbled around in the pocket of his pressed military pants until he found what he wanted,"I hope...I hope that this helps," He held out a wad of cenz, wrapped neatly in paper. Gracia stared at him and the money, dumbfounded.

"Roy...We don't...Why money?" Then suddenly, noticing his sweating hands that he kept rubbing on his pants, the look of nervousness, she understood, "Roy...We don't - I don't blame you for what happened," She spoke to him as he adverted his gaze to stare out the window. _This _was what he had been afraid of, dreading this conversation.

"Gracia," His voice sounded so foreign to him and it scared him. He was starting to, in a sense, lose himself in grief again. The promotion and the defeat of Father were all like a cruel reminder to him that Hughes was not here to see them all happen.

"When we married, I knew that this might happen someday. He died helping you and I'm glad that you've made up for it, in a way. He told me of your dream to become fuhrer and with you're promoted you're closer to that dream, so thank you..." Gracia voiced faded and Roy wondered if she was crying or there was she just at a loss for words.

"Mommy!" Both heads turned to watch as Elicia bounded down the stairs and towards her mother. The little girl stared at Roy with wide eyes, not recognizing him and wondering why her mother had a man in the house that wasn't her dad. Elicia clung to her mother's side, only to elicit a laugh from her.

"Elicia, you remember Roy Mustang, daddy's friend. He's come to visit us," Gracia assured her daughter and removed the child from her. Elicia studied Roy as he stared back at her. They both were wondering what they should do next. Roy wasn't used to children, let alone dealing with them. Seeing the little girl made him feel even more awful than earlier. He felt like the child was just another reminder to him that Hughes wasn't going to be there to see her grow-up, something the man took great pride in, a fact well known by Mustang's telephone bill.

Elicia eventually warmed up to this man. She went off to grab her pictures that were decorating the refrigerator door to show him. She brought them over to him and she watched as he smiled at her work. A part of her was happy to see that someone besides her mother enjoy her art and another part of her deeply missed her dad. She then left the room, going upstairs. Roy glanced at Gracia, questioning if he had done something wrong.

"She's probably going off to draw you something," Gracia chuckled, a sound Roy wondered how long it has been since she's made it, "She does that when people compliment her art," Gracia glanced at him at smiled, assuring him that everything was going well. Roy felt different though. He felt so out of place among this broken family, one that he blamed himself for their breaking.

"I'm sorry to leave you so soon, but I have a lot of work I should be doing...Please...keep the money," Roy bowed his head slightly towards Gracia and managed to smile slightly at her. She came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"Thank you Roy. Please take care of yourself. You don't need to blame yourself for what happened..." She wanted to say more, explain to him that he has somehow justified Maes' death for being promoted and defeating the Homuculi. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry too. She wasn't sure what for, but she felt the urge to say it.

"I'll be seeing you," Roy spoke as he walked out the door and took a sigh of relief that his visit was over, although he felt that he should have stayed longer. The strangest part, he thought, was that he somewhat felt...lighter. It was soothing to him in a way knowing that the Hughes were doing alright and even better to know that Gracia didn't blame him, although in the depths of himself he would still blame himself. He debated on what he should do now after such an emotionally tiring tirade on his part. His thoughts settled on Hawkeye as per usual, causing him to drive towards her small apartment which was only a few minutes away.

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><p><strong>AN: I had trouble ending this chapter. It didn't turn out how I wanted to, but I'm going to leave it for if I write something else it probably won't be as good. Oh and don't forget about the new subordinate and the ceremony to come because I have some good ideas going there!~**


	3. Panoply

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the favorites and reviews. Thank you. I would also like to apologize for how long this is has taken me to update. I hope you can understand.**

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><p>He knocked on Hawkeye's apartment door and tried his best to ignore the gaze from the woman that was entering the apartment next to Riza's. Roy really wished that Riza would have moved somewhere more...clean? Yes, clean. The apartment she was currently living in was in no better shape than a cardboard box to be blunt. She had told him though that she couldn't afford better and it was the only place available at the time.<p>

The door open and Riza stared at the man before her in shock. He of all people knew how dangerous and risky it was for them to be seen together like this, especially considering Riza's curious neighbor. She let him inside though without questioning him or rejecting him entry to her "home".

He entered her apartment and heard her locking the door behind her, something that troubled him. She was never this afraid and why now after everything was at peace. No one was trying to hunt them down anymore. He brushed the thought of and turned to face her. She was clad in a white robe that she hugged tighter around herself when he stared at her. He enjoyed making her feel nervous (or so he thought) around him.

"What are you doing here, sir?" She stood still and so did he, both unsure of what they should do or where they should walk or sit. Roy chose to take in his surroundings. He noticed the pale, slightly peeling wallpaper and a few unpacked boxes (still) in the corner. The thought that she wasn't planning to live here forever made him feel more relaxed. This apartment building seemed like the place for a brothel. He chuckled inwardly at thinking that, knowing that even Christmas's place looked nicer than this.

"I need your help," He spoke after the silence.

"Oh?" She walked away from him and into the small kitchen, turning on the kettle and muttered something to him asking if he wanted tea. He merely nodded in response, noticing her mood and demeanor.

"It seems that I've been promoted...to General," He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the small table in the corner. He watched her back as she hovered over the stove, waiting for the water to boil.

"I'm surprised considering how little paperwork you do," Riza retorted and Roy frowned, by he knew that she was just teasing him.

"Ouch," He chuckled, "Well at least with this promotion the project in Ishbal will be able to start quicker,"

"Is that why you need my help?" She turned around to face him and Roy could have sworn he saw anger on her face, but it was gone as soon as he blinked his eyes. He must have been imagining it.

"Ah, yes actually," He opened the folder he had brought, showing her the files, some of which had a picture of a fresh young face attached, "They want me to find a replacement for Havoc and since you're the pant-wearer in the office," Riza shot him a look, "I thought you should have a say in this,"

"Basically, you can't decide by yourself?" She sighed. He chuckled and confirmed that, "Yes. I'm useless, you know?" Riza sat down across him and skimmed through the papers. All of the men were so young and Riza pitied them for throwing their lives away to become a soldier. There was nothing wrong with a soldier; it was just that she had seen things that should never be seen by anyone and she didn't want these men's' minds corrupted like that, but it was their choice to join the military in the first place.

She handed Roy the profile of the man she thought best fit after she had finished reading most of the others. The man she had picked, Richard Harris, was a Lieutenant under the command of another General in the East. He had a good reputation according to his file. The man had a specialty in firearms. She wasn't sure if the man could ever match up against Havoc, but he seemed the closest fit for the position.

"Let's hope he's not like you are at work," Roy joked as he looked at the man's profile, "You know how firearms specialist are,"

"Yes, and you should watch what you say to people who carry a gun," She smiled back at him, enjoying making jokes like this with him. It's been a while since she had smiled and it felt foreign to her almost. Either way, she could tell Roy was glad that she was happy, or seemed happy. He had that same old smirk on his face.

"I'll be sure to put in a request for him tomorrow then," Roy said, changing the atmosphere back to an all business one again, "Oh and I almost forgot to tell you about the ceremony. You know, the one where we all have to be tortured by boredom until they announce your name. All they give you is another star to pin on your shoulder. I really don't see the point in going, but I suppose we have no choice,"

"I'm quite aware, General, and if my memory serves me right, you usually tend to get drunk at those," She smiled once more at him. He scoffed at her, "Only sometimes! I'm already promoted, so why does it matter? It helps to pass the time anyways," He smiled at her, glad to see that she was doing alright. He had worried about her since her release from the hospital. He often wondered if she was plagued with thoughts of what could have happened to her on that day underneath the city. He thought about it far too often. The water had just begun to boil, but he was already out the door, bidding her a quick farewell. He didn't think he could stay in that apartment any longer without his thoughts taking on a negative tone.

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><p>Richard Harris was nervous to say the least. To work under and alongside the newly-famous Roy Mustang was a honor to him. He heard the stories and read about how Roy Mustang had defeated the man called Father and other Homunculi. He knew how highly respected the man truly was and today he was finally going to meet him. He was young, but he was determined to prove his worth to his new General and to his team. He now stood in front of the office door and he wondered how he should go about doing this. He opened it, without knocking and entered.<p>

The General appeared to be napping on his desk while the rest of his subordinates, most of whom had just transferred back under Mustang days before. Harris couldn't believe this! The great General Mustang was _sleeping_ and the only ones who were doing anything, were only doing paperwork. To be honest Harris had expected something a little more exciting than this, but obviously that wasn't the case.

Hawkeye looked up from her paperwork to see the soldier standing at the door, dumbfounded. She frowned thinking that maybe she had picked the wrong guy for the job. The rest of the team looked at Harris now too, noticing that Hawkeye had stopped filing papers.

"Lieutenant Richard Harris, correct?" Hawkeye asked the man, getting out of her chair to walked over to him. The man blushed slightly at the woman's gaze. He was aware that the military had some women in it, but he had expected to be working with one of them. He answered yes to her question, deciding that it would be best to be direct with her. She was already making him feel inferior and he hadn't even been in the office for five minutes.

Hawkeye sighed at the man's nervousness and showed him to his desk. Harris sat down at it, looking at the other men around him as Hawkeye proceeded with introducing them, stating their names and ranks.

"You arrived at a good time. We've got lots of paperwork that needs to be done," Hawkeye said and then put a stack of papers on his desk, telling him that he better be a better worker than some people in the office. Harris had a feeling that "some people" actually just meant one person, the General. Riza went back to her desk now and from it, eyed Harris and his paperwork, wondering whether he was going to start on it or not. He instantly blushed and picked up a pen to begin signing away. Hawkeye just rolled her eyes at him. Men were really a wonder to her, especially this new man in the office. If she wasn't mistaken, she believed that Harris had already developed a so called "crush" on her.

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><p><strong>Notes: This is short, but I just wanted to update to let you know that I am alive. xD Sparks shall be flying in the next chapter in which I think I'm going to make the ceremonyball happen as it seems someone is already in love with Mustang's girl and that never goes well. **

I feel like this is needed (Omake):

Harris: "You just let him sleep all day?"

Hawkeye: "Pretty much."

Breda: "We take pictures when he starts to drool."

Hawkeye: "They've come in handy when we need something to blackmail him with."

Harris: "WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?"**  
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